Container for pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit

ABSTRACT

A container for pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, in which a housing mounted on running carriages by means of trunnions is provided with a port located on top in its cylindrical wall which may be closed with a lid. The lid is a portion of the cylindrical wall of the housing, connected with the arms of levers mounted on the trunnions and serving to turn the lid by circumferentially sliding the lid along the housing periphery.

United States Patent 19] Alexandrov et a1.

[ CONTAINER FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYANCE OF LOADS ALONG A PIPE CONDUIT [76] Inventors: Adolf Moritsovich Alexandrov, Federativny Prospekt, 6, Korpus 3, kv. 8, Moscow; Ippolit Davidovich Suladze, prospekt Chavchavadze, II, kv. 41, Tbilisi; Vladimir Efimovich Aglitsky, Zatsepsky val, 6/13, kv. 61, Moscow; Avtandil Semenovich Kakhniashvili, ulitsa Eliava, 37, kv. 41, Tbilisi; llya Solomonovich Kantor, Malo-Moskovskaya ulitsa, 31, kv. 45, Moscow; Jury Abramovich Tsimbler, Sojuzny prospekt, l0, kv. 26], Moscow; Matvei Iosifovich Rozenfeld, Borisovskaya ulitsa, 21, kv. 49, Moscow; Grigory Yasonovich Chidzhavadze, prospekt Chavchavadze, II, kv. 5, Tbilisi, all of U.S.S.R.

[22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 114,862

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 17, 1970 U.S.S.R. ..l401628 [52] US. Cl. ..105/365, 104/138 R 1 Mar. 27, 1973 [51] Int. Cl. ..B61d 15/00 [58] Field of Search...lO4/l38 R; 105/365, 377, 241' [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1968 Raab 105/377 9/ 1922 Dumble "243/39 5/1967 Fritz 105/377 5/1970 Raab 105/377 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l/1942 Germany ..243/32 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen Attomey-Holman & Stern ABSTRACT A container for pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, in which a housing mounted on running carriages by means of trunnions is provided with a port located on top in its cylindrical wall which may be closed with a lid. The lid is a portion of the cylindrical wall of the housing, connected with the arms of levers mounted on the trunnions and serving to turn the lid by circumferentially sliding the lid along the housing periphery.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing-Figures CONTAINER FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYANCE OF LOADS ALONG A PIPE CONDUIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to units designed for pneumatic conveyance of loads in containers along pipe conduits and, more particularly, it relates to containers used in such units. The container according to the present invention is preferably although not exclusively used for the transportation of bulk materials.

PRIOR ART Widely known in the art are containers (pneumatic rabbits) for the conveyance of mail. Such containers comprise a cylindrical housing whose end walls mount trunnions. With the aid of trunnions the housing rests on two running carriages. The cylindrical housing is provided on top with a port adapted for chargingdischarging the load being transported. This port can be closed by a lid which is connected to the housing with the aid of a hinge arranged along the generatrix of the housing. Locking means are provided for keeping the lid closed during transportation.

The disadvantage of such containers is that opening the lid is effected by folding back. Such a design of the container makes it difficult to discharge a bulk load by dumping the container. Moreover, a container with a foldable lid requires increased overall dimensions of the handling station. A chance opening of such lid during the transportation of the container along a pipe conduit may cause the jamming of the container.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the known containers.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container for pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, in which the lid can be opened and closed by sliding along the external surface of the container hous- In accordance with the objects of the present invention, there is provided a container for the pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, in which a cylindrical housing mounted on running carriages with the aid of trunnions arranged on its end walls has on top in its cylindrical wall a port which is adapted for charging and discharging the load and which can be closed by a lid, and in which, according to the invention, the lid is essentially the movable portion of the cylindrical wall of the housing, connected with the arms of levers mounted on the trunnions and serving to turn the lid by circumferentially sliding the lid along the periphery of the housing.

It is expedient that a counterweight be secured on each lever, while on the housing, stops are provided against which the lid rests under the effect of the counterweights for being kept closed.

The use of the counterweights with the stop provides for automatically keeping the lid in a closed position and obviates the necessity of securing the lid with the aid of locking means which require additional operations for their locking and unlocking.

It is likewise expedient that on the external surface of the lid and alongside the lid there be secured two guides forming a slot adapted for cooperation with an element of a drive, installed at the handling station, for opening and closing the lid.

Such an arrangement of the lid helps mechanize the operations of opening and closing the lid at handling stations.

The present container is simple to manufacture and reliable in operation. The use of such a container in units designed for the pneumatic conveyance of bulk materials along pipe conduits helps attain a fully automatic operating mode of the unit.

The present invention will become more apparent upon considering the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a general view partly in elevation and partly in cross-section of a container according to the present invention, with the lid in a closed position; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line II--II of FIG. 1, the view looking in the direction of the arrows and being on an enlarged scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the container has a cylindrical housing 1. On the end walls of the housing 1, trunnions 2 are arranged. The housing 1 of the container rests, with its trunnions 2, on running carriages 3. On top, the housing 1 is provided with a port 4 adapted for charging (discharging) loads into and from the container and is arranged throughout its whole length. The port 4 in the closed position is covered with a lid 5. The lid is the movable portion of the cylindrical wall of the housing 1.

Mounted on ball bearings 6 on the trunnions 2 between the running carriages 3 and the end walls of the housing 1 are levers 7. The said levers are rigidly connected with the lid 5.

On the lever 7, a counterweight 8 is fixed, and on the housing 1, stops 9. Under the effect of the counterweight 8, the lid 5 rests against the stops and is thereby kept in the closed position.

Rigidly fixed on the external surface of the lid 5 in the middle portion thereof are two guides 10 forming a longitudinally extending slot. The slot is adapted for cooperation with an element of a drive installed at handling stations and designed for opening and closing the lid 5.

A packing 11 is arranged on the perimeter of the lid 5 for sealing the lid. The container is conveyed under the effect of compressed gas along a pipe conduit 12.

The container of the invention for conveying loads along a pipe conduit by compressed gas operates in the following manner.

Upon the arrival of the container at the handling station, for opening the container lid 5 a drive (not shown in the drawings) is activated, the drive having an element which enters the slot defined by the guides 10. Then, the lid 5 is opened by rotating its levers 7 about the trunnions 2. Hence, the lid 5 slides on the external surface of the cylindrical housing 1 of the container.

Closing of the lid 5 is performed in a similar manner by rotating the levers 7 in the opposite direction.

We claim:

1. A container for the pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, comprising a housing having a cylindrical outer wall and end walls, trunnions carried by the end walls, running carriages mounted on the trunnions to enable the housing to move along the pipe conduit, said cylindrical wall being provided along the top thereof with a port through which a load may be charged and discharged, an arcuate lid of greater dimensions than the port positioned on the periphery of the cylindrical wall and being slidable thereon to positions closing and opening the port, and means connected to the lid and rotatable about the periphery of the trunnions for supporting the lid for sliding movement relative to the cylindrical wall in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1, in which said cylindrical wall is provided with stops adjacent the port, and said lid supporting means being provided with a counterweight serving to maintain the lid against the stops whereby the lid closes the port.

3. The container as claimed in claim 2, in which spaced apart longitudinally extending guide means on the outer surface of the lid provide a slot co-operable with means serving to slide the lid about the periphery of the cylindrical wall in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 

1. A container for the pneumatic conveyance of loads along a pipe conduit, comprising a housing having a cylindrical outer wall and end walls, trunnions carried by the end walls, running carriages mounted on the trunnions to enable the housIng to move along the pipe conduit, said cylindrical wall being provided along the top thereof with a port through which a load may be charged and discharged, an arcuate lid of greater dimensions than the port positioned on the periphery of the cylindrical wall and being slidable thereon to positions closing and opening the port, and means connected to the lid and rotatable about the periphery of the trunnions for supporting the lid for sliding movement relative to the cylindrical wall in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
 2. The container as claimed in claim 1, in which said cylindrical wall is provided with stops adjacent the port, and said lid supporting means being provided with a counterweight serving to maintain the lid against the stops whereby the lid closes the port.
 3. The container as claimed in claim 2, in which spaced apart longitudinally extending guide means on the outer surface of the lid provide a slot co-operable with means serving to slide the lid about the periphery of the cylindrical wall in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. 